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Making our Childhood Dreams a Reality

When
I was a child I used to daydream about what life would be like as an
adult. I would picture myself riding my Clydesdale horse to the
nearest village to pick up supplies, long hair flowing, full-length
woolen dress and cloak, basket on my arm.

I
imagined friends and neighbors coming to me for help with their
ailments, a herbal remedies and ointment for aches, a charm or talisman for the home, a cup of tea and a slice of chocolate cake to
offload, all conducted in my cosy cottage by candle light, the smell of incense in the air.

A
romantic fairytale image perhaps.

I
used to imagine what it would be like to live in a huge house like Misselthwaite Manor from The Secret Garden, but mostly I imagined the
secret passageways and rooms, and of course the secret garden itself.

I
would devour books which had the wise woman character in them, ones
that would touch some inner spark in me, guiding me gently towards my
passions in life.

I
have a great love of mathematics and science, logic brained am I, and
had other fantasies of being some sort of scientist.

How can Xena Warrior Princess give us career advice?

Sometimes
we look back on our childhood dreams with nostalgia, or scorn or
perhaps bitterness, but I believe our childhood dreams give us
insights as to the person or life we are truly meant to be.

I
don't necessarily mean we are supposed to be modern day Xena Warrior Princesses, but certain elements of our fantasies show us our true
soul needs.

For
example, if I had big dreams of growing up like Xena, I would mull
that over and pick apart what it was about being Xena that I loved so
much.

Was it the kicking ass part? Perhaps I would be in my element
being a martial arts expert or a cage fighter.

Was it the saving the
day part? Perhaps I would be better as a police officer or working
for womens refuge.

Perhaps
that is putting it a bit too simplistic, perhaps I am so off the
mark, but perhaps it may help someone?

How I made my dreams into my reality

Looking
back on my own childhood dreams shows me a lot about the person I was
always meant to grow up to be.

I
was destined to be a country girl, the city was never meant to be a
happy place for me, a simple quiet life is what I crave and where I
am most in my element even if I no longer have the urge to ride
across the hills in my tartan dress like Lorna Doone.

Studying
natural remedies and the craft was also where my heart lay, and is
still where I am at my most confident, but I also have a need to back
up the reasoning for why a remedy works with science too, not to the
point of dismissing something which I know works, but it makes me
want to do a happy dance when I can back up with science something I
already know to work.

And
as for The Secret Garden and Misselthwaite Manor with its mysteries,
well John built me a secret bookcase door, I know I can't believe it,
it makes me so happy, childhood dreams made into reality !!!!

It's turning out to be another one of those busy but not really busy sort of weeks. Seem to be on the go all the time, but nothing overly exciting happening.

We're plodding on with the renovation and today I managed to start hanging the wallpaper in the hallway at last, it is one of only two rooms we have done in the cottage which has a patterned paper for a feature wall, I wasn't sure how it would look not being a lover of plain walls but I think it will turn out just fine.

I'm thinking I may do a blog post on wallpaper hanging tips, I have done enough papering over the years you'd think I would be an expert, I can assure you I am not but there is some stuff I have learned over the years which could be helpful to someone else, could be fun :)

P.S. I couldn't resist posting another picture of the lambs in the paddock, they are just so darned cute!!

There may be signs of spring around the garden, and there may be warmth in that sunlight beaming down, but the wind is still cold here at the cottage. I wonder if had we still lived in Derbyshire would I be pottering in the garden more often? Sometimes imagine what is must be like to live in Arizona like Vanessa, picking strawberries in April. As it is I think I will be playing catch up again in a few weeks. Instead I fill my days with indoor projects, working on the cottage, yarny projects and so on.

These two lap blankets I made a few weeks ago (please excuse their unblocked disheveldness), as part of Heather from Beauty that moves Hibernate workshop, there was a pattern for a knitted dishcloth. I'm not normally a knitter preferring a hook myself, but looking at the pattern I realised just how easy it was to create.

Having no current need for some dishcloths I thought the pattern would work well using some super duper extra chunky yarn from my stash and big needles. I'm really very pleased with how it worked out, also using some hooky edging to finish off too.

I still had plenty of cream yarn left over, plus the blue which I had got at a bargain price whilst at hobbycraft in Aberdeen, so decided to have a go at a ripple using Lucy's pattern from Attic24, love this one also, although for someone who prefers to crochet I think I may like the knitted one best!!

I love the light at this time of year, the sun hanging so low in the sky casting a golden glow everywhere. The flowers all seem to be within the gold spectrum too, I've certainly come to associate spring with yellow.

The daffodils are putting on a fine display, usually they flower sporadically, but I think the mild weather we have had this year has had something to do with it, causing them to burst into bloom together.

Another sign of spring in these parts is lambs in the paddock behind us. I may or may not have a wee squealy moment every year when I spy the first lambs of the season, they are just so tiny.

Today had been a day for new life, the first three lambs of the year appeared around lunch time, as did my ex husband and his wife's new son who was also born around lunch time.

Last year we (aka me, mum and sis) decided to start meeting up once a week for our own crafting bee. I don't drive and don't get out much so it makes for a nice social event at our place.
Truth be told we usually end up gossiping so much that not an awful lot of crafting gets done but it's good.
Mum usually gets set up on the wheel or carding, although today she was knitting too.

Baby sis is usually knitting away on some commision or other for her Drifting Gipsy facebook page.
Last week she was working on a scarf for a friend, this week a pair of legwarmers for a member of her OU tutor group.

I'm still nibbling away at a hat I am knitting for myself, it is a slow going project which perhaps will be ready next winter.

But most of my time this last half of the week has been nursing this little one above. Poppy cat is under the weather right now, I think it's eating too many Orkney voles, but it is rather like having a newborn in the house again !!

In fact it is time for another feed before I get dinner on for John, so I will sign off for now but any positive thoughts sent this way for Poppy would be welcome, thank you x

Whooohooo, I DID IT !!!! I finally published my first Ravelry pdf pattern !!! and it is a crocheted fox cowl.
It has been a great experience, the highs and lows of designing is an exhilarating and depressing process I have discovered. That push needed to break through the barriers of stuckness at times and the rush of inspiration when you are in the flow.

I can't wait to get stuck in to my next design, I seem to be running on a creative high, so many ideas whizzing around in my head, i feel like a bottle of fizzy pop.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement you have given me whilst I have been getting the pattern ready to go live.